Naval Park to host ceremonies, race, fund and food drives for Veterans Day

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Over Veterans Day weekend, the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park will be hosting a variety of events, including a race, a ceremony recognizing vets, a fundraiser and more, the park announced in a release.

The weekend kicks off with the Veterans Race, a tradition that began in 2012. The race will be held at 9 a.m. Friday, and this year, over 650 runners will be competing. Proceeds from the race will benefit Veterans One-stop Center and the naval park.

Per the release, the park will host a ceremony inside the Hangar Building at 10 a.m. on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, with remarks from naval park board members Adam Poole and Scott Saperston. The color guard will be provided by the Civil Air Patrol Cadets and the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park’s docents. They will also lay a wreath in honor of vets, and George Miller is scheduled to perform the National Anthem.

A ceremony honoring Hispanic American vets will take place at noon at the Western New York Hispanic American Veterans Memorial in the Monuments Garden. Additionally, a wreath laying ceremony will take place at the African American Veterans Monument at 2:00 p.m. Both ceremonies will be free and open to the public.

The weekend will also feature two charitable drives. The first, a part of the 2025 All Hands On Deck campaign for the naval park’s annual fund drive, which will kick off at the Veterans Day ceremony. Donations to the campaign directly support park operations, including ship maintenance, educational outreach, and general operating expenses during the year.

The second drive will take place throughout the weekend from Nov. 9 to 11, as the park collects items for the Blue Star Mothers NY7, who will be sending “We Care” packages to U.S. troops overseas. The naval park suggests donations of food and snacks, as well as personal care items. Donations can be dropped off in the museum building near the gift shop, where a letter-writing area will also be set up.

“The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park proudly honors and recognizes veterans throughout the year, but we especially look forward to showing our appreciation on Veterans Day,” park president and CEO Paul Marzello said in the release. “There is an incredible veteran community in Western New York, and we like to take advantage of every opportunity to recognize their service and welcome them to the Buffalo Naval & Military Park.”

In addition to Veterans Day-related events, the Radio Association of Western New York will be operating on the air from the radio room aboard USS Little Rock on both Saturday and Monday, where they will be answering visitor questions and helping kids send their names in morse code to earn a certificate.

The park will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, with free admission for all veterans. The last ticket will be sold at 3 p.m. The park will be open from 10 to 4 on weekends throughout November as well, with Nov. 24 being the last day of the season for 2024.

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